R. Kikuo Johnson

Johnson was born and raised on the island of Maui. He studied illustration at the Rhode Island School of Design under cartoonist David Mazzucchelli.

Johnson began working on his first graphic novel, Night Fisher, while studying at the Rhode Island School of Design. Released in 2005, the semi-autobiographical coming of age story set on Maui won the 2006 Harvey Award for Best New Talent as well as the Russ Manning Award at the 2006 Eisner Awards. Johnson regularly works in commercial illustration. His artwork first appeared in the pages of The New Yorker in 2006 and on the cover of the magazine in 2016. Several of his illustrations and prints were acquired by the Library of Congress. Johnson's all-ages graphic novel The Shark King was published in 2012 by Toon Books and is based on the Hawaiian legend of Nanaue, son of Kāmohoaliʻi. No One Else, a graphic novella, was published in 2021 by Fantagraphics. It was called "note-perfect" by the New York Times and was included on multiple Best of 2021 lists from major publications. The book won multiple awards including the 2021 LA Times Book Prize, the Ignatz Award for outstanding graphic novel, the Lucca Comics Award for Best Script, and it was named a 2022 Lynd Ward Prize honor book.

Night Fisher (Fantagraphics books, 2005) The Shark King (Toon Books, 2012, } No One Else (Fantagraphics books, 2021)

"Thrustman" (in Project: Superior, 2005) "Cher Shimura" (in Mome Vol. 3, 2005) "John James Audubon in Pursuit of the Golden Eagle" (in The Believer, Feb 1, 2006) "Conditioning" (in The New York Times, August 3, 2007) "Anything But Retail" (in Strange Tales, Marvel Comics, December, 2009) "Body and Soul" (in The New Yorker, April 3, 2017) "Uncharted Maui" (in The New Yorker, July 26, 2021) "Hawaiian Snow" (in The New York Times, Jan 7, 2022) "Lahaina Hallelujah" (The New Yorker, November 22, 2023) "Birthday Blues" (The New Yorker, April 8, 2024)